Monday, December 19, 2005

I'm honestly not sure what I think of civil partnerships. It is indisputably good that same sex couples can have their partnership recognised in law, given how often they are locked out, but fundamentally they are not marriages. Legally they are transacted by contract, not public affirmation (although a public signing ceremony can take place), whilst also they can only be conducted by registrars and not by clergy. This is very much a two tier system and the calls for civil partnerships to be extended to heterosexual couples (who don't need them - they can get married) will only serve to undermine the institution of marriage. It would have been far simpler and a better step to equality to remove the gender distinctions in marriage law and to hell with the bigots who cling to ancient dictionaries.

The Lib Dems have purported to be the "Real Alternative" to Labour. At the moment they are a squabbling party, with the front bench falling over backwards in public to make it clear they support the leader whilst sharpening the knives, and endless speculation about potential successors. Compared to the Tony Blair & Old Man Brown show that's not an alternative at all!

William Hague returns to the Conservative frontbench. Hague's stature has rocketed in the last four years, both for his statesmanlike contributions to political debate and for his brilliant biography of William Pitt the Younger. Now he's back as Shadow Foreign Secretary. But he's also been designated "Senior Member of the Shadow Cabinet." In the absence of a Deputy Leader, it will be Hague who stands in for Cameron at Prime Minister's Question Time.

At the time Howard's staggered resignation was greeted with astonishment, with many commentators and party members believing that he had made a great mistake, giving the party a seemingly eternal period with no full authoritive leadership and endless campaigning for the leadership. Many were angry with a sudden resignation announcement. Yet now we know it was a tactical move, designed to forestall an instant leadership election, instead allowing the party a time to reflect and really think through what it needs in a leader. And it has worked. There was no kneejerk charge for the candidate who seemed to fit the immediate mood or a dive to block any individual. Instead we've had a good contest that has allowed all the candidates to demonstrate their true potential and really shine. This time I think the party's done it right.

Members of the armed and security forces operate in difficult circumstances and have no choice but to do what they do for the protection of the people and country. Sometimes the consequences are devastating to individuals and families, but to suggest that somehow the work they do is worse than those of terrorist scum is atrocious. The double standards of condemning an amnest for the security forces whilst supporting one for UDA, IRA and UVF terrorists shows Adams to be a pure two faced hypocrite.